In a close UEFA Nations League semi-final, Portugal managed to defeat Germany 2-1 and get through to the final. Several good shots by both teams happened at the end of the first half, but a goal didn’t come. Florian Wirtz gave Germany the lead in the beginning of the second half when his header was upheld after VAR checked the play. But Portugal then scored two goals, thanks to Francisco Conceição’s long-range effort and Cristiano Ronaldo’s cool finish which pushed them in front. Even though Germany tried to win in the end, with a post shot and many saves by Diogo Costa, Portugal managed to get the win.
Shortcomings Of Germany
Germany found it difficult to score after being given good opportunities in the game. Karim Adeyemi rattled the woodwork and each of Florian Wirtz, Nick Woltemade and Leon Goretzka had their efforts saved. At key times, they made mistakes in defence, for example when Conceição was given room outside the box and Ronaldo space in the penalty area. Near the end, they lost focus and three yellow cards were given within a single minute which slowed down the game. Portugal’s goals on equalising meant Germany needed to settle for a response role rather than trying to lead the match.
Also Read: IFAB Updates Penalty Kick Law And UEFA To Enforce It In Germany Vs Portugal Semi-Final
What Germany Could Have Done to Win
They could have done better when try to score and when trying to keep opponents away from their goal. The away team got many early scoring chances, but Diogo Costa blocked Woltemade and Goretzka from scoring. Being aggressive after their goal might have stopped Portugal from getting a chance to settle in the match. Coming on later did add some energy, yet bringing in Gosens and Gnabry before Portugal equalised could have helped more. If they had marked Ronaldo more closely and moved faster after getting the ball back, Portugal’s plans to keep the game going could have been disturbed and the result might have changed.
